Washington, DC: The US Food and Drug Administration is soliciting public comments with regard to the therapeutic utility and abuse liability of various substances, including cannabidiol (CBD). The agency will consider these comments prior to preparing a formal response to the World Health Organization, which is considering placing the substances within their international drug scheduling code.

Cannabidiol is defined by the US Drug Enforcement Administration as a schedule I controlled substance, despite its therapeutic properties and lack of abuse potential. Seventeen states explicitly recognize CBD as a therapeutic agent by statute. Safety trials have determined the substance to be non-toxic and well-tolerated in human subjects and even the head of the US National Institute on Drug Abuse has publicly acknowledged that CBD is "a safe drug with no addictive effects."